Student taken into custody for reportedly striking sophomores with SUV

A Washington University student who was driving a vehicle that reportedly struck two undergraduates near the Brookings steps late Sunday night was taken into custody Monday morning, the Office of Public Affairs confirmed.

The student was allegedly driving on Hoyt Drive when the vehicle struck sophomores Shana Zucker and Richard Lee, who were returning from an off-campus formal with a group of other students. Zucker and Lee were taken to Barnes-Jewish Hospital, where a media representative confirmed that both were in “fair” condition as of 10:20 a.m. on Monday, April 28.

According to the American Hospital Association, “fair” condition means the patients are conscious, though they may be uncomfortable, and their vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Barnes-Jewish could not provide details about any injuries Zucker and Lee may have sustained.

A MetroBus driver present on Hoyt Drive who preferred to remain anonymous said that around 11:40 p.m., he witnessed a male in an SUV driving quickly on Hoyt, hitting two students who were in a large group and sideswiping his bus, No. 3031.

“He just plowed his way through and left. It was horrifying,” the driver said.

The bus driver said that the SUV left the scene after striking the students, and he and others called emergency services. He added that police officers had removed footage from the dashboard camera mounted at the front of his bus to examine it for identifying details of the car or driver.

The Washington University Police Department would not confirm whether it is treating the incident as a hit-and-run, but Jill Friedman, vice chancellor of public affairs, said that WUPD was investigating the incident for referral to the St. Louis County prosecutor. The prosecutor will decide whether to press formal charges once the investigation is complete.